Bath sponge holder



March 25, 19 2 H. HAWKINS, SR

BATH SPONGE HOLDER Fild April 13. 1949 E hi 'tl In ventor Henry LeonardHawkins, Sr,

y @860 and Patented Mar. 25, 1952 UNITED SA'ES This invention relates toa device adapted to hold and form a detachable handle for a bath sponge.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device of the abovekind which is simple and durable in construction, and which may bereadily operated to quickly grasp and securely hold a sponge for use,and to quickly release said sponge when desired.

A further object is to provide a device of the above kind which will notreadily contact and injure the surface being cleaned or scrubbed bymeans of the sponge held thereby.

With the above objects in View, the present invention consists in thenovel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, shown in the accompanying drawing and claim.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sponge holder constructed in accordancewith the present invention and holding a sponge for use;

Figure 2 is a. top plan view of the sponge holder in released condition;

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the sponge holder insponge-holding condition;

Figure 4 is an enlarged end elevation of the sponge holder as shown inFigure 3;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken on the line66 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the present sponge holder includestwo symmetrical or complementary stifl wire members A and B, each havinga straight elongated shaft portion 5, a sponge-gripping portion 6including a lateral arm a on the front end of the shaft portion 5, and adepending prong b on the other end of the arm a and provided with aninwardly directed pointed terminal 0, a crank portion 9 on the rear endof the shaft portion 5 composed of a laterally outward and upwardlyextending forward arm d and a laterally inward and downwardly extendinglonger rear arm e, and an inwardly and upwardly and then forwardlyextending slideretaining arm It] on the rear end of the crank portion 9having a short lateral terminal ii. A sponge-gripping element I2 similarto the portion Bis welded to the shaft portion 5 inwardly of and inspaced relation to said portion 6.

The two wire members are disposed side by side so. that the shaftportions 5 are in parallel contacting relation and the gripping portions6 and elements I2 of the wire members extend 1 Claim. (Cl. 15154),,portions 6 and the gripping elements I2.

away from each other. The shaft portions 5 are journaled in bearingsleeves I3 and I 4 respectively extending between the gripping elementsI2 and the crank portions 9, and between the gripping When the grippingportions and elements are in'released position, as shown by full linesin Figure 2 and by dotted lines in Figure 4, the terminals I I of armsI0 extend sidewise away from each other. Also, the arm ID of each wiremember is aligned with the shaft portion 5 thereof.

A slide I5 is movable on the rear arms e of the crank portions 9 forrotating the wire members about the axes of the shaft portions 5 so asto swing the gripping portions 6 and elements I2 toward and away fromeach other. This slide consists of a flexible metallic plate havingrolled side edge portions I6 loosely encircling the arms e. Thearrangement is such that when the slide I5 is moved rearwardly, thecrank portions 9 are swung apart and the gripping portions 6 andelements I2 are swung toward each other into gripping engagement withopposite sides of the sponge S. At this time, the arms ID are alsorotated to turn the terminals I I downwardly and inwardly to dependingpositions in front of the slide I5, so as to retain the latter in therear position, and thereby releasa'bly hold the portions 5 and elementsit in gripping engagement with the sponge. By pressing down on thecentral portion of the slide while moving it forwardly, said slide maybe flexed to pass the terminals I I, and continued forward movement ofthe slide will cause the crank portions 9 to be moved toward each otherand the gripping portions 6 and elements I2 to be swung apart so as torelease the sponge. When gripping the sponge, the device provides anefficient handle therefor. The prongs of the portions 6 and elements I2are of considerably less length than the thickness of the sponge, sothat they will not readily contact and injure the surface being cleanedor scrubbed.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction,operation and advantages of the present invention will be readilyunder-. stood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. Modificationsand changes in details of construction are contemplated, such as fairlyfall within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

A Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A device adapted to hold and form a detachable handle for a bath spongeor the like, comprisin two symmetrical stiff wire members, each having astraight elongated shaft .portion, a sponge gripping portion including alateral arm on the front end of the shaft portion and a depending prongon the outer end of the arm and provided with an inwardly directedpointed terminal, a crank portiongon the rear end of the shaft portioncomposed of a laterally outward and upwardly extending forward arm and alaterally inward and downwardly extending longer rear arm, and aninwardly and upwardly and then forwardly extending slide-retaining armon the rear end of the crank portion having a short lateral terminal, asponge gripping element similar to the sponge gripping portion securedto the shaft portion inwardly of and in spaced relation to said spongegripping portion, said wire members being disposed side by side so thatthe shaft portions thereof are in parallel contacting relation and thegripping portions and elements extend away from each other, bearingsleeves in which the shaft portions of said wire members are journaled,said bearing sleeves respectively extending between said grippingelements and said crank portions and between said gripping portions andsaid gripping elements, and a slide movable on the rear arms of saidcrank portions for rotating the wire members about the axes of saidshaft portions so as to swing the gripping portions and elements towardand away from each other, the lateral terminals of said slide retainingarms being movable to depending positions in front of the slide to holdthe latter in its rearward position when said slide is moved rearwardlyto swin the gripping portions and elements into gripping engagement withthe sponge.

HENRY LEONARD HAWKINS, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 515,242 Markham Feb. 20, 1894583,576 Losee June 1, 1897 955,219 Spinney Apr. 19, 1910 1,289,325 WakeDec. 31, 1918 1,371,790 Kelly Mar. 15, 1921 2,014,494 Fiumefreddo Sept.17, 1935 2,477,471 Wolfe July 26, 1949

